Chapter Nine

1. Chapter Nine Campaigns and Elections

2. Introduction • In the US, citizens vote more frequently and for more offices than any other citizens. • About half a million people hold an elected position of some sort. • In reality, each vote is important—2000 election results. • Bush won Florida by 537 votes • Gore won New Mexico by 366 votes

3. Rules of the Game • Most electoral rules are set by the individual states. • Local governments are largely responsible for administering all elections. • Elections are held at fixed intervals with advanced notification. • Electoral system is based on fixed terms—length of service is set. • House of Reps = 2 yrs • Senator = 6 yrs • President = 4 yrs • Some positions have staggered terms (1/3 of Senators are elected every 2 years). • Most states will not allow a person to run for two offices at the same time.

4. Rules of the Game • Twenty-second amendment limits the President to two terms (or 10 total years if he/she were to take over during someone else’s term). • No term limits in Congress despite their popularity among the electorate. (75% of voters favor term limits). • Term limits would require a Constitutional Amendment.

5. Winner-takes-all • The candidate with the most votes wins. • Winner does not need to have a majority of votes, only a plurality is needed. • Most American districts are single-member districts meaning that voters may only choose one person for each office.

6. The Electoral College • Each state has as many electors as it has reps and senators (PA = 21). • Each state determines how the electors are selected—usually longtime party members. • Electors vote for Pres and VP separately—12th Amendment. • When you vote, you are actually voting for a group of electors—each party has their own electors. • These electors are then expected to vote for their party’s nominee. The losing party’s electors do not vote. • Faithless electors have existed but have never made a deciding vote.

7. The Electoral College • Candidate who receive a plurality of votes win all of the electoral votes except for in Maine and Nebraska. They award an electoral vote on the basis of who wins each district and then two more votes for the winner of the state. • Takes a majority of electoral votes to win the Presidency and Vice Presidency. • If no majority—House chooses Pres from among the top three candidates (each state gets one vote, if state delegates are tied their vote does not count). • If no majority—Senate chooses VP from among the top two candidates (each Senator gets one vote). • It is possible to have a President from one party and a VP from another.

8. The Electoral College • The make-up of the electoral college certain plays a role in presidential politics (focus on the big states—CA, TX, NY, FL, PA, IL, OH). • Possible for a winner of the popular vote not to win the electoral college and thus not become president. Happened four times in our history.

9. Running for Congress • There is little competition in most congressional elections. (safe seats) • Usually incumbents are popular • Can raise money more easily • Many districts tend to be heavily dominated by one party • Gerrymandering—redrawing districts to favor one political party • Senate and Governor offices are much more competitive than House seats. • Extent of presidential popularity affects both House and Senate elections (coattail effect) • Loss of House seats are generally done during mid-term elections because of poor economic conditions and low presidential popularity.

10. Running for Congress (House) • Incumbents are rarely challenged from within their party. • Challengers need to raise money and develop a personal organization of campaign managers, polling people, advertisers, etc. • Challengers must become visible through the media. (big hurdle) • 95% of House incumbents win their elections • 98 % of House incumbents won in 2000 & 2002 • 99% of House incumbents won in 2004

11. Running for Congress (House) • Challengers have such a hard time because they get outspent 3-1. • They don’t have the perks like franking privileges (free mailings), large staff, free use of communication facilities, and haven’t made any connection to the constituents. • Most districts tend to be very partisan and will vote for one party only.

12. Running for Congress (Senate) • Six year term and national exposure make Senate campaigns much more competitive than House races. They are considered big-time politics. • Essentially the same process is done—raise huge amounts of money, get good people to run campaign, make lots of contact, have a clear message, and advertise. • Incumbency is an advantage for Senators but not the degree it is for House members. • Competitive elections increase in number when Senate is only controlled by a few votes.

13. Running for President • Your project (explained on Thursday)

14. Money in American Elections • Money can come from • Candidates own pockets • Political parties • Interested individuals • Interest Groups • Concerns arise that candidates will be more focused on pleasing those who give money than doing what is best for the country. • Examples of corruption • Teapot Dome (money for preferential treatment) • Nixon (money in overseas accounts) • Keating Five (money for preferential treatment) • Clinton/Gore Fundraisers (money for preferential treatment)

15. Efforts at Reform • Three basic strategies • Limits on giving, receiving, and spending • Requiring public disclosure of political money • Giving governmental subsidies • Federal Election Campaign Act • 1971 • Limited how much could be spent on advertising, required disclosures on sources how funds were spent, and required PAC to be registered and report all contributions and expenditures • Allowed tax payers to contribute $1 (now $3) to fund presidential campaigns

16. Efforts at Reform • Buckley v. Valeo • Supreme court ruled that candidates could spend as much as they wanted but they upheld the limits on how much people could contribute. • Resulted in the rise of soft money—people giving unregulated money to political parties. • BCRA • Banned most forms of soft money • Permits state and local party committees to raise and spend limited amounts of soft money for voter registrations and get-out-the-vote efforts ($10,000 limit for individuals and corporations)

17. Efforts at Reform • Issue Advocacy—promoting an issue or position • 527 groups—interest groups organized under a special section of the tax code became very popular in the 2004 election because of the restriction on soft money. • No legislation can restrict wealthy people from using their own money to run their campaign. (candidates running against millionaires are allowed to have higher contribution limits)

18. Efforts to Reform • BCRA does not limit any independent expenditures—private money used to buy ads for or against candidates.

19. Continuing Problems of Campaign Finance • Higher costs • Dependence on PAC money • Decreasing visibility of challengers in House • Ability of wealthy to fund their own campaigns • BCRA helped some but 527 groups have taken the place of soft money • Questions still exist as to whether politicians focus on donators or voters.

20. Improving Elections • Reforming Nominating Process Ideas • National Presidential Primary • Regional Presidential Primary • More Caucus systems • State Conventions • National Conventions select two or three candidates and then voters select their choice before the general election

21. Improving Elections • Reforming the Electoral College Ideas • Adopt a Direct Popular Vote—run off election if no candidate receives at least 40% of votes • National Bonus Plan—an additional 102 electoral votes to the popular vote winner so long that person has at least 40% • Adopt Maine and Nebraska’s system to all states—one electoral vote per district.

22. Improving Elections • Reforming how we vote ideas • Get rid of punch card ballots • Adopt more technological methods of voting • Provisional ballots • Vote by mail--Oregon • E-voting